Monday, September 12, 2011

Brown University engineering alumnus Lei Yang ScM ’11 PhD ’11
has been selected by the 125th Anniversary Planning Committee as a Sigma Xi
Fresh Face. Sigma Xi, as part of its anniversary celebration, is recognizing select
“students and early-career members who have shown promise in their respective
fields of study and dedication to Sigma Xi.”

Yang who was elected to full membership in Sigma Xi in 2011,
received the Sigma Xi Outstanding Graduate Student Award at Brown in 2011. At
the 2010 Sigma Xi Northeast Regional Research Poster Conference, Dr. Yang won
the first place award.

Brian Sheldon, Lei Yang, Thomas Webster

Yang worked with Professors Thomas Webster and Brian Sheldon
while obtaining his Ph.D. at Brown. His doctoral dissertation was on “Nanocrystaline
Diamond for Orthopedic Implant Coating Applications”. His work was recognized
with the outstanding thesis award from the Brown School of Engineering in 2011.
He is currently working as a postdoctoral research associate under Sheldon on “Electrical
Field Induced Stress Evolution in Anodic Tantalum Oxide Films”.

Yang is already an accomplished researcher with three
patents and one pending patent to his credit. He has published more than 15
refereed journal papers, and two book chapters.

He is the founding editor of Nano Bulletin, and has reviewed
manuscripts or proposals for 13 research journals. He has given 25 conference
presentations and five invited talks.